Sobhy Records First Round Victory at Hong Kong Open

Team USA’s Amanda Sobhy is through to the second round of the Everbright Sun Hun Kai Hong Kong Open following a decisive first-round victory Monday at the Hong Kong Squash Center in China.

Sobhy, who rose five places in November’s world rankings to world No. 13, dispatched New Zealand’s world No. 38 Amanda Landers-Murphy 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 in twenty minutes.

The result sends Sobhy through to the center court where she will face Hong Kong’s world No. 12 Annie Au on Tuesday. Au won the most recent encounter at the Women’s World Team Championship in September–a five-gamer that also took place in China. Live stream the match at 1pm local time, 12am midnight ET, on SquashTV.

Sobhy joins U.S. teammate Olivia Blatchford Clyne who enjoyed a first-round bye as the sixteen seed. Blatchford Clyne, world No. 18, will take on Egypt’s world No. 20 Hania El Hammamy on the Center Court. Blatchford Clyne and El Hammamy have already faced off two times in 2018 with each player winning on home soil–Blatchford Clyne in February’s Cleveland Classic and El Hammamy in April’s El Gouna International Open. Live stream the match at 6pm local time, 5am ET, on SquashTV.

Team USA’s Todd Harrity and Haley Mendez both exited the tournament in Monday’s first round. Harrity, world No. 48, fell in three games against Mexico’s world No. 29 Cesar Salazar, while Mendez, world No. 43, lost out in four games against Egypt’s world No. 24 Yathreb Adel.

The Hong Kong Open is the final women’s PSA Platinum event of 2018 and the penultimate men’s PSA Platinum event of 2018.